Katapult - Edition 7 - July, 2018

Welcome to Katapult!

July is one of my favourite months of the year! Both my children were born in July so it’s like Christmas at our house. Cards, balloons and wrapping paper can be seen everywhere. One party is sadly over, but we still have one more to go.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day as I write this newsletter today - something we haven’t seen enough of around here recently - we are water-logged! 

So what’s been happening at my desk since the last time we had a chat? Plenty!

What’s Up?

CBCA NSW Branch Inc Newcastle Sub-branch Meeting: 

Our latest meeting featured Ed Wright from The Creative Wordshop. Ed shared with us how his business is helping local writers of all ages and experiences improve their writing skills. 

Puppy Update: 

Our puppy, Ivy turned four-months old on the 28th June. She has certainly claimed her spot in our family and we adore her. The good news is she is 100% clear of any health issues and we managed to avoided surgery last month for a reoccurring abscess. She is happy and busy - just the way puppies should be. We’ve completed puppy school now and things are going well. Fingers crossed they stay that way! I could waste time looking at her all day long - similar to when you bring newborns home. I just wish she would stop stealing things and chewing them! She's so cheeky.

And of course I have a picture book story plan thanks to her puppy antics with a box.

Kids and YA Festival: 

I attended the biannual Kids and YA Festival last weekend hosted by Belinda Murrell and Writing NSW (formally the NSW Writers Centre). Lots of engaging and entertaining panels filled the day with inspiration and hope. I was lucky enough to have been chosen to pitch a picture book manuscript to a panel of three children’s publishers during the last session (Scholastic, Hachette, HarperCollins). Two of them wanted to see the manuscript after the pitch. I've sent it off now so cross your fingers for me :)

I love catching up with all my writing and illustrating friends from afar at events like this. It's such a warm and friendly community!

Photo 1: Belinda Murrell in conversation with Jacqueline Harvey

Photo 2: Dub Leffler, Sarah Davis (chair), Aura Parker, Kirli Saunders and Paul Russell

Photo 1: Dub Leffler

Photo 2: Me, Marian McGuinness, Belinda Murrell, Lindy Batchelor

Photo 1: Jacqueline Harvey (chair), Tim Harris, RA Pratt and Oliver Phommavanh

Photo 2: Kate Forsyth, Jane McCredie (Writing NSW), Belinda Murrell

Bookings for Books Week School Visits:

If you’d like me (or Kirrili and I as an author/illustrator team) to come to your school, shoot me an email so we can organise one that is perfectly designed for your school’s needs. Preschools, Primary Schools and High Schools welcome!

I'm also represented by: 

The Children's Bookshop Speakers Agency

Greenleaf Agency (Greenleaf Press)

Upcoming Events

I’m doing a monthly story time event at Harry Hartog, Kotara until the end of the year. My July visit is on Wednesday, 11th July at 10:30am - first week of the school holidays.

All my 2018 story time dates can be found here.

We are going to see Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton on stage taking about their latest release, The 104 Storey Treehouse during these school holidays. Andy is my hero and I can’t wait to see both of them on stage. They released a second show in Newcastle recently. Tickets for the second show can be found here.

Publishing Update

I’ve been working with Kirrili and our publisher this week on all the draft internals of Up To Something due for release May next year (EK Books). OMG! is all I can say. Our book is coming together beautifully. We tweaked a few pencil lines here, and a few words there to make it the best book it can be. Kirrili is now ready to splash the colours around and start the final illustrations. We can’t wait to share this one with the world!

I’ve also seen some draft internals of No Baths Week today, due for release early 2019 (Big Sky Publishing). These are full of magic too. Cheri Hughes is a very clever chook. 

My fifth picture book, Isla’s Family Tree (third one with EK Books) has found a home on an illustrator’s easel who is busting to help my words jump off the page with the help of beautiful illustrations. I saw some of the concept drawings this week. My heart is singing. Her full identity will be revealed soon. This will be a 2020 release.

I know … when it rains, it pours! All three books in the one week! I have three beautiful illustrators working on my stories at the moment and I feel like the luckiest author in the world!

Anything to Share?

The Hunter Writers Centre is hosting a children’s writing workshop with Sue Whiting on the 11th Aug from 9:45am. If you'd like to join us, please follow the link here.

Recent Book Purchases?

Teacup by Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley (This one took my breath away.)

Errol by Zanni Louise and Philip Bunting (This one is simple and cute but clever.)

Where can you find me on social media?

I’ve made it easy. Just click on the live links below and like or follow me.

Website

Blog

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

My YouTube channel

Feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email: author@katrinamckelvey.com

I’d love to hear from you!

Some photos of my winter Camellias I popped onto Instagram last week. 

I love receiving drawings from my daughter.

CBCA Night of the Notables, a School Visit, and another Book Launch

CBCA Night of the Notables

Nette Hilton - NSW Judge

My friends Kirrili, Gwynne and I went to Dymocks in George Street, Sydney last Tuesday evening to celebrate the announcement of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week Awards Notable Books.

The notable books are a long list of books. The judges then choose the shortlisted books from this list. The shortlisted books will be announced at midday on Tuesday, 28th February. From this shortlist, the winners will be chosen. The big announcement of the winners in each of the categories will be announced at the beginning of Book Week on Friday, 18th August. All books entered were published in 2016.

The full list of books in the notable list can be found here.

Margaret (Nette) Hilton, current NSW judge, spoke about the judging process while Jacqueline Harvey (Alice Miranda series) talked about the importance of encouraging children to read. 

More information about the judges and the judging process can be found here.

It was so lovely to see some of my Sydney and Central Coast literary friends again. The children's literature community is so beautiful, and every time I go to a related event, I get to catch up with some amazing people.

Congratulations to all the book creators linked with books on the notable list (these include authors, illustrators, book designers, editors, publishers, publicists as so on). What an amazing set of books. All of these books are quality literature from cover to cover and would be an asset to any home and school library, or a personal collection. My collection just keeps getting bigger!

School Visit: St Brigit's, Raymond Terrace

Last Friday I had the privilege of talking to and workshopping with Year 3 from St Brigid's Primary School, Raymond Terrace. We had a very busy day discussing narrative structure, realism writing and where to get ideas from. Thanks to Aleesah Darlison from Greenleaf Press who worked with the school and I to meet the needs of the children. Beautiful school, beautiful children :)

Book Launch

Lastly, I attended Renee Price's book launch of her second picture book, 'Digby and the Yodelayhee Who?' at Wallsend Library. She sang, she told stories, and she was very funny. A happy and delightful event. Congratulations, Renee!

On another note:

Some of you have worked out this is my third blog post in a week. Yes, my third. This has only happened a few times before and may never happen again, but at least you're now up-to-date with my mischief. Cross your fingers I will be writing the next blog post in my new writing studio currently under construction. I can't wait! 

(Oh, and we're painting inside our house at the same time. Utter chaos here!)

The Newcastle Writers Festival and Schools Program 2017

The 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival is almost here. The main program will be held Friday, 7th April until Sunday, 9th April in the Civic Precinct. 

The program was launched on Friday, 24th February in the Lovett Gallery of Newcastle Library by festival director, Rosemarie Milson. Everyone behind the scenes was very excited to launch the program for this 5th festival. What a milestone!

Full program can be found here.

As a part of the Main Program, the festival will also be hosting a Family Fun Day on Saturday, 8th April in Wheeler Place, next to Town Hall from 10am. 

Visiting children's book creators include Jackie French (Diary of a Wombat series), Richard Roxburgh (Artie and the Grime Wave), and Nick Earls (Word Hunters series). How exciting!

We will also be hosting local creators including illustrators; Kirrili Lonergan, Liz Anelli, and Gwynne Jones, as well as story teller John 'Sinker' Clarke.

The Newcastle Youth Orchestra will also present a special performance linked with the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter.

I have the privilege of being the MC for this amazing event - I AM SO EXCITED! Block out your diaries and come into town.

The Newcastle Region Libraries will also be hosting a Schools Program to compliment the festival. 

Visiting book creators are coming from all over the country to spend time inspiring school aged children from around the Hunter and surrounding areas.

Jacqueline Harvey will be the guest speaker at a High Tea held at Wallsend Library on Tuesday, 28th April. Booking can be made here.

Then on Wednesday, 29th and Thursday, 30th of April, our town will be invaded by book creators such as Michael Wagner (Maxx Rumble series), Louise Park (Zac Power series), George Ivanoff (You Choose series), Jack Heath (Countdown to Danger series), Jacqueline Harvey (Alice Miranda series), and John Flanagan (Ranger's Apprentice series). To have all these amazing authors in the one place at the same time is an extremely rare event. We are very lucky.

The Schools Program can be found here.

I'll be in and around the Schools Program volunteering and soaking up the inspiration. Hope to see you there!